The Phalanges
The Phalanges is an archipelago located to the south-west of Inamorta. History The First Settlers: In the first month of 10 BCSE (Before Common Stick Era), immediately following the Battle of Snake's End, an expeditionary force was arranged to hunt down the one remaining aquatic Serpentine, which was last seen just off the northern coast of Westwind. This expedition was organized by the Great Knight leader Darvink Havik, and was composed of a half-dozen swift galleys, each containing about twenty handpicked stickmen from Westwind's navy. The captains who Darvink appointed to lead this expedition were Tuath, who was quick-tempered and very impatient; Tùror, a glutton of gold and other precious things; Farloss, known for his lengthy sea ventures; Bolgmar, who was large and cowardly; Lamhad, a sea-hardened veteran with peculiar long hands and Leid the Unmarred, famed throughout Westwind for receiving no wound in all the many battles he had fought. Upon each galley there was a great store of harpoons and a rich supply of provisions which would keep the crew well nourished for at least a month's long journey. Though constructed by Darvink, he did not take part in the hunt for the beast for he, and all other Great Knight contingents, were forbidden to engage in any military action while the Time of Mourning for their recently deceased founder, Befaenar Rochir, lasted. So, regretfully, Darvink and his fleet left to attend the funeral of Belfaenar, which was being held in the Great Ramular Hall in Invinojug. Before leaving he gave a speech to the men he had assembled. He told them that it was of the utmost importance that they find and kill it, so that Inamorta could be purged from the evils committed by this wretched race. He also told them that they would be rewarded greatly for their efforts, regardless if they should succeed or not. Though to the man that killed it, he would grant unfathomable wealth and power. After this he left, and the Westwinders went to their homes to rest and prepare for the journey ahead. They set out at dawn, three days after it had last been spotted. Since they did not know for certain in which direction the Serpentine had swam, the Westwinders decided to divide their party into three groups in order to increase their chances of finding it. One group circled back east towards the Murmurkos Straits, the second sailed to the north-west, and the third to the south-west. The first group was led by Tuath and Tùror, the second by Farloss and Bolgmar, and the third by Lamhad and Leid. This first group, after a quick sweep of the Straits, returned to Westwind and shortly after disbanded. The second ventured much further than the first, but it availed to naught - they found nothing. So they decided to go back to wait and see if the others had been more fruitful in their search. The third group, however, encountered markings of the thing which they sought. Scattered throughout the ocean, they found giant pieces of shed skin and the skeletal remains of large creatures. For two days they sailed through the mist and rain, following the leavings of the Serpentine, with no land yet in sight. But on the third day during the late morning, when the fog cleared and the rain lessened to a drizzle, one of the captains, named Leid, who had keen eyes, spoke this verse: A middling isle I see Risen above the frothing floor. Like a dire wolf’s claw The shoreland curves Gently towards the west. Farther away I faintly descry Its swollen frame clad In umber hills and plains of green. Leid's stickmen grew excited when they heard this, for they were eager to set foot on solid ground once again. When they drew nearer and all were able to see this land they started shouting. When the stickmen on the other galley heard them shouting they thought they had spotted the Serpentine, so they quickened their rowing and caught up to them, readying their harpoons. They saw nothing however but undisturbed waters, so they asked them what was the matter. Leid's men seemed not to hear them, for they began to shout even louder, with some running in circles and flailing their arms about. Then Lamhad looked ahead and realized what they had been on about. "Turn round your heads, you oafs!" he said. "There's land ahead!" When his stickmen turned their heads, they began shouting too. As they drew ever closer, the island grew in magnificence, and so did each stickman's excitement. Never before had any of them seen such oddly-colored hills or grasslands so lush and open - there wasn't a single tree in sight. Though it truly was a sight to behold, Leid did not share the other's fascination of the place. Instead he remained silent, wary for any sign or movement of the Serpentine. There were many places were it could hide, primarily among the towering patches of grass which shook and swayed much in the strong winds. He knew for certain it was hidden somewhere near the coast, for there were still deep imprints left in the sand from where a great beast had made its path. When both galleys reached the shore their captains had some trouble restraining their men from rushing out. One stickman from Lamhad's crew did not heed his superior's command to halt, and he foolishly jumped out of the ship headfirst, snapping his neck on an unseen rock. "Fool," Lamhad muttered upon seeing the stickman's broken body lying lifeless upon the sand. A few from the neighboring galley broke out in laughter. After this occurrence, Lamhad and Leid gave orders to disembark in a calm fashion. When they all had done so, they were then told to make haste in gathering provisions and prepare for the coming hunt. The party, which consisted of thirty-three stickmen, was assembled by early afternoon. Four were appointed to stay behind and look after the ships. As the party began to ascend towards the two-toned landscape, one who was told to keep watch shouted after Lamhad, who stopped and turned to hear what he had to say. "What shall we do about Adheim - bury him or toss him out to sea?" the stickman said. "Neither," said Lamhad. "He died a fool's death and therefore he does not deserve a burial. Leave him where he lies, let the crabs mourn him." And with that the party resumed its march. When they had reached the grassy plain, the first thing they noticed was the overabundance of rivers threading the expanse like veins. This took them by surprise for none, including Leid, had seen any hint of inland water until this moment, they were hidden well among the long grass. The coolness of their soft chant was mesmerizing. Many of them halted to admire the sight. But Leid, who was at the head of the group, happened to glance behind him and saw that several of his company were lagging behind. He called back at them, drawing their attention away from the water and towards the task at hand. However, there were still a few who would not keep up with the rest. To these idlers he said this: Why do you stall so soon When the chase has yet begun? Has the rhythm of these river-bows Stolen your will to obey? Or have your legs grown weary, Have they become rusty from disuse? Perhaps three days is far too long To be straddled upon a sea-horse. Feeling ashamed, these idle stickmen immediately rejoined the ranks and continued in the pursuit of the Serpentine. Lamhad, who brought up the rear, simply shook his head at them, appalled by their idiocy. If they were his own he would have slapped them. They followed the large moistened path of upturned dirt and trampled grass, which was a direct continuance of the one carved into the sand. The path was so wide that four stickmen were able to walk abreast upon it. (To be continued) Geography Locations: The Phalanges are divided into six different regions. The Fingers '- A collection of nineteen individual islands which make up about two-thirds of The Phalanges. Litfing - The northernmost group of islands. * Litfing River Rinfing - The second largest group of islands. * Rinfing River Midring - The central and largest group of islands. * Middenclaw - The most populous settlement on Midring, as well as the capital of The Phalanges. * Midring River Forfing - The fourth largest group of islands. * Forfing River Thûm - The southernmost and smallest group of islands. * Thûm River * Mountains of Thûm '''Knarth '- A rocky, mountainous land with sparse vegetation. * Pur - A prominent coastal city located in eastern Knarth, south of the Vanir River. * Knarthrin Mountains - A large mountain range extending across the northern part of Knarth. * Vanir River - The longest and widest river of The Phalanges, which separates the northern reaches from the southern. Vegetation/Wildlife: '''Wildlife * Knarthrin Mountain Horse - * Lynx - * Alpaca - Peoples The Phalanx: Stickmen of Westwind descent who reside on the long, narrow islands of the Fingers, as well as in some areas of Knarth, such as the city of Pur. The Phalanx are skilled sailors and they love to spend as much time as possible on boats and ships. This bond that they have with water is so strong that instead of building roads and getting by on foot or horse(the only exception to this are the Thûm, who are primarily horsemen) they navigate solely upon the rivers that the islands have in abundance. Due to the islands being almost completely devoid of trees, the Phalanx often trade horses with the Westwinders in exchange for timber. When travelling abroad to the mainland, if a mainlander asks a Phalanx where they hail, they respond by lifting up their corresponding finger. For instance, if one is a Litfingon, they lift up their little finger. Litfingon - The people of Litfing. They are lithe and agile, but possess little strength and courage. Rinfingon - The people of Rinfing. They are a calm, caring folk who have little interest in war. Midfingon - The people of Midring. Tall and noble in appearance, the Midfingon most resemble their Westwind ancestors, as most did not interbreed with the natives. * Middenmen - The inhabitants of Middenclaw. The Thûm - A fierce, sturdy people that inhabit the region of Thûm. They are stocky and short in stature. * Knarthrin - Stickmen of Thûm descent that settled in the rocky region of Knarth. Purrhians(“the pure race") - The inhabitants of the city of Pur. These haughty city dwellers claim to be of pure Inamortan descent, but this isn't true in the slightest. In actuality, they are the most mixed race of all the Phalanx. Stickotaurs: The Stickotaurs are a race of monstrous, aboriginal stick figures that dwell beneath the Knarthrin Mountains. Natives: The natives were the first to inhabit The Phalanges(aside from the stickotaurs). Little is known about them other than that they were very small in size, being roughly half the height of an average stickman, and fled the islands shortly after the Westwinders arrived. Notable Stickmen: Leid Finger-finder(previously Leid the Unmarred) - Westwind captain who led one of the two ships that discovered The Phalanges. Lamhad - Westwind captain who led one of the two ships that discovered The Phalanges. Oralus - Captain of the Litfing River Guard. The Alpaca - A renowned Phalanx warrior who spat in the eyes of his enemies, temporarily blinding them before hacking them down. Notes * This is strictly a historical account and is not supposed to read like a story. * Stickotaurs are stick figure versions of Minotaurs. * The natives of The Phalanges were influenced by the Hobbits of The Shire, a little folk created by J.R.R. Tolkien. * The five hand symbols on the map are the bases of the River Guard. * Those dark stains near the lower-left corner of the map is honey. Category:Lore Articles Category:TheGrayStickman